Nominations sought for 2008 RRRT/SPC Pacific Human Rights Award
[We Can Do readers will note that this human rights award is not specific to disability rights work. However, this nomination process could be an opportunity to bring attention to people working to promote disability rights in the Pacific Region. The deadline for submitting nominations is October 31, 2008.

Nominations sought for 2008 RRRT/SPC Pacific Human Rights Award

The Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (RRRT/SPC) is seeking nominations for the 2008 RRRT/SPC Pacific Human Rights Award.

This year the award is unique in that it will honour courageous and innovative individuals for “outstanding achievement in the field of human rights” – and not organisations, as it has previously – to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.

The closing date for the receipt of nominations is 31 October 2008, and the award will be presented at a ceremony in Suva, Fiji Islands, in early December 2008, marking International Human Rights Day.

What is the RRRT/SPC Pacific Human Rights Award?
In 1998, RRRT won the prestigious UNICEF Maurice Pate Award for its pioneering work in promoting human rights education for women and children in the Pacific.

RRRT now offers a similar award for the region to encourage the development of a human rights culture that will protect the rights and promote the well-being of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. This is the first year RRRT has offered the award to individuals.

The award is an opportunity not only to give public recognition to the achievements of the recipients themselves, but also to send a clear message to human rights defenders region wide that the Pacific community is grateful for, and supports, their tireless efforts to promote all human rights for all.

Nominations for the 2008 Award
The 2008 Award will be presented at an event in Suva in December 2008 as part of the annual commemoration of Human Rights Day. Nominations can be submitted on the form attached or downloaded online from www.rrrt.org and should be received at the indicated email, postal address or fax number by 31 October 2008. Organisations or individuals can nominate.

Nominees must:
1. Be Pacific Island nationals.
2. Have shown strong commitment to social justice and human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
3. Have demonstrated a high degree of commitment in their personal lives and actions to the framework of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This framework takes for granted the integrated nature of human rights – i.e that they are universal, inalienable, interconnected and indivisible. This means that civil, political, economic, cultural and social rights cannot be separated.
4. Have demonstrated extraordinary and exemplary initiative in promoting and advancing human rights or human rights education at a national and/or regional level.
5. Have made significant contributions to human rights promotion or protection in their countries through an extended period of dedicated work (paid or voluntary), taking an explicit rights-based approach.
6. Have contributed to positive change in their countries.
7. Not be employed by RRRT or SPC.

Note: The award can be granted posthumously.

The Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) is an SPC programme under the Social Resources Division with core support from NZAID and AusAID. RRRT provides training, technical support, policy and advocacy advice in human rights to promote social justice and good governance throughout the Pacific region.
I received this announcement via Ghulam Nabi Nizamani.